Jungle Trekking in Chiang Mai

One of my main reasons for coming to the North of Thailand rather than the popular white-sand beaches of the southern islands was NATURE.

I wanted to witness, first-hand, the lush tropical forests that surround Chiang Mai.  Unlike in Canada, where marked trails can be easily spotted in National and Provincial parks, this luxury doesn’t exist in Thailand – it’s safer to hire a guide.

I booked a three day / two night tour with BMP (Backpacker’s Meeting Place) in Chiang Mai.

Here’s a breakdown of what happened:

Day 1: Friday Nov. 20

A pickup truck carried our team of 9 adventurers plus one guide (a Thai guy named Saiyon) to a small marketplace outside of the town to pick up essentials including bug spray, bananas and toilet paper (we were entering the jungle after all…).

The truck dropped us off at the side of the road, 30 mins Southwest of C.M.  Our trek into the jungle began with a 3-hour uphill hike, where we encounter bamboo-log bridges over gushing streams, pastures with curious cows, and Golden Orb spiders that insisted on blocking our path.  Out lunch of fried rice wrapped in banana leaves was eaten on flat rocks beside a rapid river.

Second stop: a broad waterfall in front of a cool cavern, where we came into contact with another tour group (I realized that we were not in a very remote area of the jungle).  Here, I met a butterfly friend, who thought that my big toe was the perfect place to chill.

Everyone was damp with sweat as we continued through the jungle.  There wasn’t much to see, until we reached the valley that was the home of a Karen (hill tribe, originally from Burma) village.  The village was our final destination tonight.  We dropped our bags off at the bamboo hut that would accommodate us for the night, then set out to explore the rest of the village.

What I learned:

1. Some of the Karen people are Christian, as evidenced by the first church that I have seen in Thailand.
2. Almost every household is made from bamboo and built off of the ground.  The homes are usually have at least one or two pigs and a collection of chickens.
3. A great way to sell a bracelet is by tying it onto your would-be client’s wrist, as if it were a gift, conducting a ceremony in Thai, and then asking for 50 baht.  I fell for this one.

We joined Saiyon in the kitchen and assisted him in making a Thai dinner: green curry egg plant and chicken.  It was delicious – we ate outside under starry sky.

At night, we circled around the campfire and passed around a bottle of homemade rice whiskey. We sang our national anthems and became friends quite quickly.

Day 2: Saturday November 21

After breakfast, our group was sadly split – the 2-day and 3-day people had different itineraries.  This was our crew:

There were only 3 of us doing the three-day trek: myself, and Gloria and Larissa, two Romanian beauties.

Our second day began with a 3-hour hike to a second Karen village.  Here, we had lunch in a hut that overlooked a beautiful valley that showcased the Karen people’s expertise in farming. Gloria and Larissa surprised me with a “birthday cake” (banana muffin from 7-11, stuck with a flower and burning piece of dry twig).  They sang happy birthday to me and bought me a bracelet from a local woman who had crafted it herself.  It was a great birthday in the jungle :).

After another 3-hour hike past rice fields and along a narrow jungle trail, we reached our settlement: a small bamboo camp next to a waterfall.

The three of us chilled out on rocks and listened to the flow of the water until dinner (Saiyon’s pumpkin and egg stirfry with rice).

As night fell, I returned to a flat rock near the river’s edge and listened to the water while reflecting on the past few days.  It’s nice to be without wifi and smog.

Day 3:  Sunday November 22

I woke up refreshed, but chilly.  It gets cold at night up here in Northern Thailand!

After a short hike out of the jungle , we boarded a pickup truck which took us to an elephant camp.  Here, I would ride an elephant for the first time in my life.  Without much instruction, I clambered onto the back of her neck from a raised structure.

I was terrified at first – this huge, beautiful animal had the power to toss me off like a bug at any moment.  My knees pressed behind her giant leaf-like ears as I tried to steady myself.

“What’s her name?” I asked the mahout who would accompany us on our walk. “Minnoi”, he replied with a thick Thai accent.  Minnoi was a beauty – with every powerful step, I could her muscles flex below me.  Every now and then, she would flap her ears against my legs; her method of fanning herself in the heat.

For 20 baht, we bought a basket of bananas and sugar cane.  Minnoi knew what was going on immediately, and began reaching her trunk up to me, as if saying “Pass it over!” I fumbled with first banana, held it in front of me, and she grasped it with surprising precision with her trunk. Within seconds, her empty trunk was back searching my body for more. After her snack, we ventured into a small creek.  The bananas were clearly my enough for Minnoi since she insisted on stopping at the bank  and ripping out plants for more food.

This whole time, I was balancing myself my placing my hands gently on her head.  I like to think that she enjoyed it when I gently scratched her rough leathery skin and coarse black hairs.  It was my way of saying thanks.

After our walk with Minnoi, we were shuttled to a river (I don’t know the name), where we boarded a 10-meter long bamboo raft.  For safety, I left my camera in the truck, so I have no pictures for you.  Too bad – the river ran through a beautiful stretch of jungle. We even saw a water snake.  Make sure you get an experienced driver – our guy powered past other rafts, whom we splashed and jeered at.  Not every rafter enjoyed our sense of fun.  After drying off and eating a lunch of pad Thai, we returned to Chiang Mai.

In sunmary, the trip was very fun. I made some friends along the way and gave me a taste of the Northern Thai jungle.  Be forewarned about treks out of Chiang Mai – the route that most tour companies follow is well-travelled and not very remote.  If you’re looking for something more back-country and rougher, seek elsewhere…

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